The storm turned out to be not so bad (at least in Manhattan), and the most intense thing that happened at Menno House was that we took shifts in the night to empty out the buckets that were catching water. But no new leaks appeared and the basement only flooded about an inch—a seeming miracle given Menno House’s dubious condition. Hopefully madam New York doesn’t have any more nasty tricks up her sleeve.
I now have less than a month left in the big city. As you might imagine, I am dividing my time between a to-do list of things to do and see, and preparations for the move. I’ve already shipped several boxes and designated certain items to be left behind (sorry, cheap IKEA comforter). My thesis is in a more uncertain state than I hoped, but it is mostly due to how busy my advisor is and how slowly the mechanisms turn at FIT. I’m done with it as far as I’m concerned, but chances are I will not be an official M.A. before I leave. My dream of putting my graduation regalia back on and taking some “this is for real” pictures will have to wait.
Yesterday my college friend (and Friend*) Becca visited from Philly and we went to see the off-Broadway revival of Rent. We got tickets via the pre-performance lottery- where you put your name in and they do a drawing for the winners. Normal seats cost $65 and up, but the lottery winners pay $25. The catch is the seats are usually less desirable. In our case we sat in the center of the front row, which despite a bit of neck craning, was sort of awesome. At intermission Becca asked how I was enjoying the show, and I responded that it was a pretty accurate portrayal of my life in New York.
*Quaker joke
Yep. Like looking in a mirror.
Obviously, I was kidding. While yes, I live near the East Village with a bunch of young people, that is basically where the comparison ends. One thing I find overwhelming about New York is how many very different New York experiences are happening at any given time. For every bohemian doing drugs in their modified industrial loft, there is an Upper East Side matron twirling her pearls and pampering her fluffy dog. They type of people who believe New York is the center of the Universe also usually believe that their New York is the real New York. This is a big reason I have never felt I can claim New York as my own – it is just too big and too complex for me to feel confident that I understand it all. Seattle is certainly not homogenous by any means, but I'm a lot closer to understanding it.
For example, I understand that everyone but me loves camping.
Disgusting.
No comments:
Post a Comment